The Abbott government has spent $2.5 million on lifeboats to send asylum seekers intercepted at sea back to Indonesia.

The figure, revealed in letters tabled in the Senate by Assistant Immigration Minister Michaelia Cash, indicates the government is paying more than $200,000 per lifeboat, each of which is understood to be used only once.

Fairfax Media understands the government has so far bought about 12 of the boats. It has used at least three of them.

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Senator Cash released the information in response to orders by the opposition to produce documents lodged in the Senate.

The figure of more than $200,000 per lifeboat appears to represent a considerable mark-up on the starting price quoted by the Chinese manufacturer. A spokeswoman for the Chinese maker, Jiangyinshi Beihai, has previously told Fairfax Media the lifeboats are priced at US$41,000 (A$45,500) before modifications and freight.

Fairfax Media believes the government has made significant modifications to the vessels. But the cost of freight would have been considerably reduced because Customs sent one of its own ships, the Ocean Protector, to pick up the lifeboats from Singapore.

Indonesia has recently stepped up protests against the Abbott government's turning back of asylum seeker boats.

Earlier this month Indonesian Foreign Mininster Marty Natalegawa was reported as saying he told Australia's ambassador to Jakarta, Greg Moriarty, in a meeting that Australia's use of lifeboats to return asylum seekers was an "unacceptable" escalation of its border protection policies.

Senator Cash refuses in the letter to say how many lifeboats Australia has bought, citing security grounds.

No tender was offered, rather the government went through a ''rapid, competitive procurement process'' using companies with which the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is dealing on other matters.

''This is consistent with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules,'' she states.

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